The invention is applicable to microscope stands of conventional open construction, in which the throat facing the observer can also face away from the observer, for educational general-purpose or research microscopes, especially for light microscopes which are constructed on the modular principle.
Light microscopes of conventional construction are technical apparatuses, which are set up without much ado at any place in a room or building. Optical systems of high resolution with large fields of view and very great magnification are also used in such microscopes. The microscope is also used as a measuring instrument of great precision. In normal applications, floor and building vibrations act as external interference causing the microscope to vibrate. These vibrations occur at frequencies mainly between 0 and 25 Hz.
To enable these interfering vibrations to pass between the objective and the object as relative amplitudes of greatly attenuated form, it is known to design the stand as a solid body of great mass (DE-GM 77 12 438) or as a closed stand (U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,157). These designs have the disadvantage that they greatly add to the mass, and they make changeovers between various viewing methods and accessory units difficult, or manipulation on the object stage is negatively affected.
These designs are not suitable for use in easily transportable general-purpose microscopes. It is also known that vibration isolation measures are unsuitable for technical table microscopes of low mass, since trouble areas and undefined resonances occur due to vibration insulation that is not tuned sufficiently low (DD-WP 21 37 66).
Stand designs are furthermore known which influence the vibration performance through a special configuration of the tube and objective supporting arms (DE-OS 29 02 962), by a rigid joining together of the ocular and object holders (U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,157) or by the use of coupling points of defined rigidity or rigid clamping between the components of the stand (DD-WP 23 32 12).
These designs have been created for massive microscopes with a plurality of accessory units some of which add to the mass, and which call for great complexity of construction and depart from the idea of light-weight construction and portability in a table microscope. All of the above-mentioned known stands are so constructed that the column of the stand is disposed on a base, and the rigidity of the junction has an especially great influence on the relative movements between objective and object on account of the great level arm between the object and the objective, and in the known technical proposals an undesirable dynamic effect is produced by resiliency in the column, in the base and in the junction between them.
It is the aim of the invention to create a microscope stand in which external mechanical vibrations, especially building vibrations, will have a minimal disturbing effect on the quality of the image in the optical microscope system, while at the same time the simple, light-weight, open stand design will be retained.
It is the object of the invention to create a microscope stand of conventional open construction on the principle of light-weight design, which will be designed such that external mechanical vibrations, especially building vibrations, will have a minimal disturbing effect on the quality of the image in the optical microscope system, and such that the modular principle will be retained without additional technical cost.